Suns Rank Low in Offseason Power Rankings After Kevin Durant-Rockets Trade

The Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns were two of the most talked-about teams during the NBA offseason, mainly due to the Kevin Durant trade. In what would eventually become a league-record seven-team deal, the Suns traded Durant to the Rockets in exchange for a package centered around star scorer Jalen Green.

The move, combined with Phoenix waiving and stretching Bradley Beal's contract, saved the team plenty of money, but it hurts its competitiveness for the near future. While the Rockets got older and deeper, the Suns got a lot younger and thinner in terms of the rotation. Devin Booker is now surrounded by rookies such as Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea.

After general manager Brian Gregory's first offseason in the position, the Suns rank low in the NBA's offseason power rankings from David Aldridge of The Athletic. Phoenix ranks 25th, one spot in front of the New Orleans Pelicans and one behind the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Gregory — a Sparty guy, naturally — didn’t do a bad job out of the gate as the new GM," Aldridge wrote. "The Suns aren’t 'good' in the sense that they’re now a contender, but they should at least be competitive most nights for [head coach Jordan] Ott. The return for Durant was fair, considering Phoenix had very little leverage, and stretching Beal gets the Suns out of apron hell.

"They were nimble in moving up to get Fleming, who had first-round grades from lots of teams. Green, Fleming, [Mark] Williams and Maluach are good beginnings for whatever comes next in the Valley to surround Booker through the rest of his prime, a welcome departure from the three superstars approach."

The Rockets have not yet been ranked in this three-part series from Aldridge; however, following the second set of rankings, they will be in the top 10.

Houston is now firmly in title contention despite being in a loaded Western Conference, while the Suns are looking worse after going 36-46 last season. With Durant at the helm, surrounded by veterans and young stars, the Rockets have a chance to make waves and compete with title contenders like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets.

As for Phoenix, the team has Booker locked after he signed a two-year, $145 million extension this summer. The Suns could end up making some noise if the rookies pan out in this new system, but it isn't looking too promising.